The Girl and Her Dragon
by secretsofgray
Summary: When Chihiro left the spirit world that day, she didn't leave emptyhanded. And what she took with her was not hers to take. Chihiro/Haku
1. First

_**Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus. ( English: Never tickle a sleeping dragon.)**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated in any way, with the creators/writers/etc of Spirited Away. The quote above is taken from Harry Potter**_

_**.**_

When Chihiro walked away from the spirit world that fateful day, she didn't walk away empty-handed. She couldn't see what she had walked away with; in fact, some would say that what she walked away with was intangible.

But she did walk away with something, and she did not walk away free.

Chihiro had no way of knowing this, however. She was ten, and not well-versed in the stories of the spirits. When she left, she had assumed that she had truly and fully left. She did not know that words had power, that when Haku had promised that he'd see her again, he sure as hell _meant_ it.

She didn't know that words had power. Not really.

Chihiro had thought that perhaps, she could walk away from the spirit world with no strings attached, and that maybe she'd see Haku and Lin and Kamaji again.

No such luck. Then again, if Lady Luck wasn't fickle, that would make for rather dull stories, wouldn't you agree?

.

It was June the twenty first, the summer that Chihiro had moved into her new home, that she first saw them again. Naturally, Chihiro was a little dejected that she couldn't for the life of her remember her way to the red tunnel that lead her to the spirit world, and more than a little angry that no one from there had tried to reach her.

She'd woken from a dream – it was one of those marvelous, grand dreams that you remembered fully –about the bath house and Zeniba and Bo and No-Face. She smiled to herself, remembering, then started as she saw little round shadows moving about her room.

Chihiro frowned. Though she was nearly eleven years old, she still was a little afraid of the dark – or at least she used to be. Now she was unperturbed, and she calmly, curiously, got up from her bed and followed it.

She turned on the light and rubbed her eyes. _What's that?_

Closer inspection proved that they were little balls of soot – just like the ones Kamaji had in his shop!

Chihiro blinked and got on her hands and knees. "What's going on? What are you doing here?"

The magicked soot chittered in their own little language and made to her window. Chihiro scrambled to her feet and followed them, throwing open the window after hastily undoing the lock.

She was greeted with warm summer air and the chirping of crickets. The soot sprites fled out her window, some tugging at the ends of her hair and sleeves.

"You want me to follow you?"

They made their chittering noise.

Chihiro didn't consider that it was the middle of the night, or that her parents would miss her, or that she didn't know what the soot balls wanted. Such questions were of no concern to her. She merely laced up her sneakers, grabbed the spare key from the hook, and followed them.

She'd become sort-of familiar with her new neighborhood, so soon enough she knew where the soot balls wanted her to go.

"The tunnel!"

She skidded to a stop in front of the large, red building as the soot balls disappeared inside. Everything was still. The statue was still giving her the creeps, and after a few seconds the wind picked up, gently, slowly, tugging her in with alluring fingertips.

She swallowed, and took a step inward.

It was the Summer Solstice.

It was also a full moon.

But Chihiro wasn't quite yet an avid reader of fantasy. She wouldn't know that these two factors often made the perfect combination for things to Happen. She paid no attention to these things.

She stared straight ahead as she walked into the temple, ignoring the way that the shadows shifted or how the light just wasn't quite right. The sun rose early in the summer; Chihiro was up and about in the not-quite midnight, the sky half-black, half-blue.

She emerged on the other end. Everything was washed in silver; the grass rolled in the wind like waves, the leaves of the trees whispered in the wind. She could see the silhouette of the bathhouse, closed and sleeping, in the distance.

Chihiro didn't know where the soot balls were; she didn't know if there was a river halfway down the field.

She didn't care. She ran forward, brimming with glee.

She couldn't explain it, but she had the feeling of coming home.

.

Chihiro entered the bathhouse the same way that she had the very first time: through the boiler room. Kamajii was working the boiler, arms reaching up behind him to get the herbs out of the wooden cabinets. The soot sprites continued working, some of them – or was it just her imagination? – casting her sidelong looks as they worked.

Like her first time there, he didn't look up. Chihiro waited for him to speak. She figured she owed him a certain amount of respect, and, frankly, she didn't know what to say.

"So," Kamajii said in that gravelly voice of his, "You're back."

"The soot sprites lead me here," Chihiro told him, stepping into the pit where the soot sprites were. "Did you send them?"

They dropped their blocks of coal and crowded around Chihiro's feet, chirping and singing. They tugged at her shoes and flitted around her ankles.

He didn't answer her right away. A bath token dropped down, and with a curse he reached behind him and retrieved the herbs. "After all that's happened and I'm still worked to the bone," he muttered, then, at the soot sprites, "Back to work!"

After a moment, he glanced over his shoulder at Chihiro. "It's the full moon," he told her.

"What does that have to –"

"The barrier's thinned," Kamajii went on. "The one that normally exists between the bathhouse and your world. Full moon helps. So does the Solstice."

"What does that mean?"

"It _means,_" now Kamajii looked at her, "That you can visit."

Just then, the wooden servant's door slid open. "I keep telling you, Kamajii," a familiar, feminine voice began, "To leave your old dishes...what's – Sen!"

Lin ran up to the girl, her baskets left on the floor. "Sen!" She hugged the girl; Chihiro hugged Lin back, not bothering to tell Lin her real name.

Lin took a step back, sizing Chihiro up. "So? Why're you here, you dope?"

"The susuwatari, Lin?" Kamajii prodded. Lin rolled her eyes but dumped the star-candy into the pit; the little sprites danced and chirped and ate.

"They – they led me here!" Chihiro pointed at the soot sprites.

Lin rounded on Kamajii. "_You_ sent for her?"

Kamajii was unabashed. "I did," he agreed.

"Why? You _know_ it's dangerous for her to be here! Yubaba – " Lin cut herself off. "You brought her here for _him_, didn't you? During the _Solstice?_"

"For who? Brought me here for who? What's going on with Yubaba? Has something bad happened?" Chihiro wanted to know.

Lin turned to her, mouth opened as if to speak – then she whirled to face Kamajii. "You –"

"Why don't you take her to see Haku?" Kamajii suggested easily, going back to the boiler. "He's changed, now that he's free of Yubaba's apprenticeship."

"Hmph." Lin made a face. She collected Kamajii's old bowl, then turned to Chihiro. "C'mon, Sen. Let's go."

Chihiro nodded and hastily followed Lin. "Do – do I leave my shoes and socks on?"

"Same as last time, kiddo. Take 'em off."

Chihiro scrambled to do just that. "Bye, Kamajii!"

"Good luck, Sen!"

.

Chihiro was brought to an appendix room on the second-to-last floor. "Haku doesn't work for Yubaba anymore," Lin told her, "Though he _does_ continue to stop by. Solstice's especially." Lin cast her a look. "I…"

"Is something wrong, Lin?" Chihiro asked the woman. "Did something happen while I was away?"

Lin shook her head. "Just be careful. You can be such a dope sometimes," she told Chihiro, not unkindly. "And it _is_ the Solstice…"

Chihiro nodded, though her ten-year-old mind didn't quite comprehend. "I'll be careful."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

.

It took her about two seconds to figure out that Lin was not accompanying her, and another two seconds to realize that Haku was not in the main chamber.

There were books, though, stacked in floor-to-ceiling shelves. And a large window. There might have been a balcony, but Chihiro didn't pay attention to this. She was much more interested with the faint sound coming from the next room over; she slid open the door and was greeted with quite a sight.

A great white dragon was coiled up in the room, sleeping. The sounds she had heard had been his breath ruffling the pages of the open book that lay beneath one talon. The dragon had a sort of aqua-colored mane, and Chihiro didn't need to see his eyes (which were shut) to know that this was _her_ dragon. Haku.

But he was asleep.

Chihiro debated inwardly for a moment – should she wake him up? Or should she wait? She backed up, deciding.

The choice was made for her when she bumped into a little pedestal (nothing was on it, it was just a pedestal) and it overbalanced. Chihiro was able to quick, turn and right it, but the damage had been done.

The dragon was awake.

His jade eyes opened and locked on Chihiro. "I'mreallysorry!" Chihiro blurted, backing up against the wall this time. The dragon growled, low, and lunched at her with a gaping maw. Chihiro braced herself, back flush with the wall, arms thrown up instinctively –

But the dragon didn't maul her, or bite her head off, or anything like that. He stopped right before her, eyes boring into hers, _challenging. _ Chihiro blinked as he sniffed her, serpentine tongue flicking out on occasion. He growled when she dropped her eyes and but his head with hers until she looked back at him. Eventually he seemed to come to a consensus, and rested his snout on the crook of her shoulder.

"H – Haku?"

The dragon snorted and backed away, walked into the next room. When his tail disappeared through the doorway, Chihiro stepped away from the wall and followed him.

There was no longer a dragon, but a calm-looking boy with long black hair dressed in traditional Japanese clothes. He opened his mouth to speak, but Chihiro had already more or less tackled him into a bear hug. "Haku! I missed you…"

His arms went around her. "I missed you too, Chihiro. But what are you doing here?"

Chihiro pulled away and looked up at him. "I – the soot sprites led me here! Then Kamajii –"

"Kamajii," Haku said it like a curse. "Chihiro, your being here right now is very dangerous. It's the Solstice festival…" a line formed between his eyebrows.

Chihiro swallowed. "Sorry, I –"

Haku shook his head. "No, Chihiro," he said gently, "This isn't your fault." He shook his head. "You cannot be here tonight. You have to leave soon – you'll start to fade, and if you eat our food you'll be bound to this realm for three of our days. You must go."

"Go?" Chihiro took a step back from him. "B – but I just got here!"

Haku shook his head. "I'm sorry, Chihiro. But I cannot allow you to remain here. _Not_ during the Solstice."

"But Kamajii said -!"

"Kamajii was wrong to let the susuwatari guide you here on such a night," Haku told her. "I'll have to have a talk with him." He looked Chihiro up and down. "Perhaps in a few years you will be able to withstand the Solstice. But not right now. Come here, Chihiro. I'll take you to the border."

"But – but what if I never see you again?" Chihiro was adamant. She had been waiting for something like this – secretly, desperately, hoping against hope that maybe she'd be able to see the spirit world again. Now that she was here, being told to go home…

"You will," Haku promised. "There are nights like tonight – less dangerous nights – where you will be able to venture here easily. I'll have Kamajii send the susuwatari for you."

Chihiro swallowed. "Promise?"

Haku took her hands in his. "I promise." He exhaled. "Come, Chihiro. Fly with me."

.

Later on, Chihiro would read. She'd understand what times like the Solstice brought, and she'd understand the significance of a full moon. She'd see more clearly why Haku had to send her home.

But right now Chihiro didn't understand those things. So it was with a heavy heart and a tear-streaked face that she fell asleep that night.

.

The dragon was most definitely _not_ pleased with Kamajii. Lin watched from the sidelines as he stormed out of the boilerman's domain, looking as angry as she'd ever seen him.

"Hey, you!" She called after him, "If you make it rain during the revelries, I swear to the gods that I'll make you _pay_ for it!"

Her only answer was in the form of a slamming door.

Kamajii gave the girl a look. "You shouldn't goad him like that."

Lin was so taken aback that she was momentarily speechless. "_Me?_ Goad _him?_ Coming from _you?_ You _know_ he didn't want Sen here for the Solstice!"

Kamajii grinned. "I know. But _somebody_ had to set things in motion. You know how it works, Lin."

"But it's _dangerous!_ Sen can be such a dope sometimes! You _know_ she's not ready to handle some – something like _that!_"

Kamajii sighed. "I know. Part of this was an experiment. To see if she has it."

Lin made a face. "Has _what – _oh." Her tone immediately changed. "You don't mean…

Kamajii nodded gravely. "Yes. That."

Lin swallowed, and for once she had nothing to say.

Kamajii turned off the boiler. "So you understand my concern. Tonight would've been his last chance to get it back."

"And he _chose_ not to? Is he _crazy?_"

Kamajii shook his head. "Come, Lin. The revelries will start soon. You best be getting ready."

"Yeah, yeah," the girl said. "But what's gonna happen? Now that _she_ has his…well, you know?"

Kamajii shook his head. He didn't know. He'd only heard stories of dragons; he'd never actually had to live with one before.

_And a dragon without a heart…_

"I don't know, Lin," he admitted. "I just don't know."

.

.

.

**Well, there you have it. My first attempt at writing a Spirited Away fic. This will follow Chihiro through the years as she grows up with one foot in the spirit world. **

**It's a work in progress (as is pretty much every other fic I write) so we'll take this journey together. **

**As always, let me know your thoughts. **


	2. Deuce

**The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy who loves you. **_**– Death, The Book Thief**_

Chihiro read a lot after that. The next day she asked her parents to take her to the library, and the day after that they did. Chihiro filled out the card with a concentration not common for an almost-eleven-year-old; she took this very seriously. There were no book stores within walking distance of her house, and she needed to read up on dragons _right now._ She wanted to know everything – and the internet, it seemed, was only so forthcoming.

In rare form, she marched up to the information desk, bold as ever, and asked, "?"

The lady at the desk chuckled and asked Chihiro to repeat herself, almost at the same time her mother scolded her, telling her to 'slow down.'

Chihiro spoke slowly and deliberately the next time, asking very politely if there were any books about dragons or spirits, and where she might find them? The librarian directed her to a fantasy section, and Chihiro thanked her and began her search. She needed to find out more about Haku, and the spirits, and what exactly the Solstice and the full moon meant.

So it was with great purpose that Chihiro took out no less than two books on dragons, three books on mythology, and another fiction book that had a dragon _in_ it. Her mother asked her skeptically if she would read them all; Chihiro merely nodded. She didn't expect her mother to understand _why_ she was doing this.

_She_ wasn't quite sure herself, either.

.

Over that summer she saw Haku a grand total of three times –twice on the full moon and once on the new moon, she noted to herself. She was a little more knowledgeable on spirits and fantasy and How They Worked and she knew that the cycles of the moon often bore Significance.

All three times she was roused from sleep by _something_ that she couldn't really name, though she wondered if it was magic. Whatever the reason, Chihiro would open her eyes in the middle of the night and just _know._ She'd glance out her window, and there'd be a great white dragon tossing its head in her front lawn.

By the time she's slipped on her sneakers and ran out the front door he was a boy, waiting for her with open arms. Chihiro didn't ask how he knew where she lived, but she _did_ give him a tour of her house.

Well, the first floor, anyway.

Almost as soon as she stepped inside she felt utterly stupid. What would a dragon want to do with her house? There was nothing fantastic about it. In fact, it was so utterly mundane that Chihiro pulled him out the back door. Haku was unruffled one moment, uncomfortable or confused the next – maybe. He was so hard to read.

Her house was the last one on the block, and there was no fence – she was quite literally a stone's throw away from the forest. There was a koi pond, which Haku seemed interested in. Sort of.

"Would you like to see where I live?" he asked her once.

Chihiro nodded, but said, "I thought you lived at the bathhouse?"

"I'm not Yubaba's apprentice anymore," he reminded her, a touch of pride in his voice. "I live on my own now."

_All by himself? He must get lonely,_ Chihiro thought. They were sitting on the little hill that was the defining point between her house and the forest. She looked up at the sky, trying to form a response, when something caught her eye.

"Look!" Chihiro pointed up at the sky, seconds too late. "A shooting star!"

There were more – dozens more – throughout the night. Haku stayed nearly till dawn, watching the meteor shower with her.

"I have to go," he said, standing and dusting himself off. The sky was more of a gray than a black now, and the stars were all but invisible. "And I won't return until after the Winter Solstice."

"B – but that's not till _December!_" Chihiro protested, scrambling to her feet. It was late August – December was _four months_ away! She threw her spindly not-yet-eleven-year-old arms around him and buried her face in his shirt.

"I'll miss you," she told him.

"I know," he said gently, rubbing her back reassuringly. "And I'll miss you as well. But…" he looked at the rising sun. "It cannot be helped." He stood still for a moment, then he pulled away. "Goodbye, Chihiro."

"Bye, Haku."

.

Though she _did_ see him the first full moon after the Solstice and continued seeing him after that, he didn't bring up his home. Chihiro often wondered why not but she dared not approach the topic; doing so seemed invasive.

Haku knew that mentioning his home had been a mistake. Perhaps sometime when she was a bit older; not now.

But he was a dragon. It was his nature to jump the gun.

.

Chihiro grew up as gracefully as a scrawny ten-year-old could, and she noticed that Haku seemed to age with her. He always appeared a little bit older, or maybe it was just his eyes – they were always something different, something serious, something hidden.

Chihiro had read _The Chronicles of Narnia_ and was careful to not let what had happened to Susan happen to her; though she eventually did start wearing make-up and listening to music and going to parties, she clung to her books and magic and dragons and spirits. The way she figured it, however, was that she was still young by fantasy standards, and such age restrictions didn't seem to apply to the spirit world she was familiar with. (But still, you could never be too careful; Chihiro wasn't so young as to not realize what treasure she had in her secret world and rendezvous with Haku…even if she hadn't been to the spirit side of the veil in nearly two years. Whenever she asked Haku about it, he always changed the subject.)

It was two weeks after Chihiro's thirteenth birthday when a Very Strange Thing occurred.

She was just about to fall asleep one spring night (the day before the Equinox, to be precise) when there was a scraping sound at her window, and Chihiro bolted upright. She ran to the window and opened it, letting the chilly fall air in. There in her front yard was strange sight – a giant, bear-like creature that was _grinning_ stood there. It looked at her with wide, bright eyes, blinked once, then turned and started walking.

_Wait!_ Her insides screamed; however, she had a feeling that no words would stop the creature. It _had_ to be from the spirit world – it _had_ to.

Chihiro threw on a hoodie and her sneakers, grabbed her key, and was out the front door in a flash. She blinked in the darkness, catching its shadow as it made its way down the road. Chihiro raced after it.

It stopped on a corner – Chihiro didn't know where they were. It was a dirt road, but there were no dirt roads in her neighborhood.

_This must be one of those spirit-places…_

The creature stood still, still grinning like a skull. Chihiro waited some distance off, half-intrigued, half-wary. She was wondering a million things at once, but the sight of headlights in the distance jerked her from her thoughts.

It looked like a bus, but it wasn't moving like a normal car. In fact…

_Oh, my god. _

It was a cat. A huge, elongated cat with eight – was it eight? – legs and _windows_ – it was like a bus or truck, shaped like a cat with legs instead of wheels and _covered in fur – _

The bear-like creature boarded the cat-bus-thing, and then it locked eyes on Chihiro – she was rooted to the spot. She found herself walking forward till she was close enough to touch the yellow cat thing. It had eyes where the headlights would be; those eyes were looking at her as if to say, _"Well? Get on."_

And Chihiro nearly did. Except suddenly, there was a stiff, strong arm thrown out across her chest and a cool, collected voice saying, "We'll pass this time, thank you."

The bus took off at a loping gait, and soon it was out of sight.

Chihiro looked over at Haku. He lowered his arm and was looking at her. "W- what was that?" she asked shakily.

Haku looked troubled. "You can't run off after strange spirits, Chihiro. That…wasn't something you want to concern yourself with. Had you boarded the Catbus…" he shook his head.

"Wh – what would've happened?"

Haku ignored her question. He turned to her, eyes dark. "Promise me."

Chihiro was a little irritated at that. _He didn't answer!_ "Promise _what?" _She crossed her arms.

His fists tightened. "That you won't follow spirits you aren't familiar with! Not everyone is as forgiving of your…_mortal_ ways as I. Not many would stay their hand. Or their duty."

"Duty?" Chihiro repeated, still unsure of what had just happened.

"All spirits have a function."

"What's yours?"

"To take care of you. Now come on, we're late." With that, Haku transformed. The white dragon looked at her and head-butted her gently, as if to say_ I'm sorry, please come._ Chihiro relented, uncrossing her arms and climbing on, gripping his horns to steady herself. (She'd gotten good at flying with him over the years – it was one thing she could boast from his visits. That and the occasional bout of insomnia.)

_Why is he being so abrupt? _Haku was moody, yes, but he'd never been this short with her. He was always laid back and gentle; this sudden change in attitude was…

_Just like the books said. Dragons aren't fickle, but they are dragons. Being moody is in their nature. Right?_

She wasn't so sure, but she let it drop.

They were speeding through the night air. Chihiro barely had time to register that they were at the red tunnel when they went _through _the red tunnel and then she felt as if everything and noting was coming down on her at once, that she was being compressed and opened, coming apart at the seams, and she might've screamed, she wasn't sure –

This was the first time that she'd ever witnessed Haku falter. Though she didn't see, his eyes widened and he went still for a split second.

Then he screamed with her and they fell to the ground in a tangle of dragon and girl. Chihiro narrowly missed being gored by his horns and somehow wound up several feet away from him, inches away from getting soaked in the river.

"Haku!"

He was a boy now, rumpled and frantic. "Chihiro, what happened?" He scrambled to his feet and pulled her safely on the grass, hands on her shoulders, eyes checking for signs of wear. "You screamed. Are you hurt?"

She brushed him off. "I – it _hurt_ coming through."

Haku frowned. "The barrier should not harm you on the Equinox." He cast a dark look about them, then shook his head. "No matter. I'll see to it later. In the meantime," and here his eyes gleamed, "Hold on!"

Chihiro gasped as he took her hand and somehow seemed to run – or fly – across the river. The ferry was no more than a blur of lights as they passed, the bathhouse a beacon in the distance. Haku brought them to an abrupt stop that wasn't abrupt at all and ushered her through the door that lead to the boiler room.

The soot sprites were nowhere to be seen, and Kamajii was dozing. Or at least, he appeared to be. But after a moment, he said, "The susuwatari told me you've met a shinigami."

Before Haku could speak, Chihiro began to panic. "Sh – shinigami? Does that mean I'm – I'm gonna _die?_" her voice rose an octave on the last word. She knew what shinigami meant, even before she began to read, and it was a god of death or Death Himself and that usually meant you were gonna die and _she was most certainly not ready to die –_

"No!" Haku shot a glare at Kamajii. "No," he consoled Chihiro gently, "It doesn't mean that. It wasn't _the_ Shinigami; just _a_ shinigami. He lives close to you."

"Then why was he –"

"He probably smelt magic on you," Kamajii told her gruffly, shooting Haku a look.

Haku returned the look. "You're fine, Chihiro. I'm not letting anything happen to you." To Kamajii, he said, "Where's Lin?"

"You were late," Kamajii said matter-of-factly, "She had to go get ready. Yubaba's big on punctuality, you know that."

"Get ready? What's going on?" Chihiro asked, looking around.

Before Haku could answer, Kamajii said, "The Equinox."

Chihiro nodded, though she didn't understand fully. She knew that the Equinoxes were Significant, though not as much as the Solstices, but what were they doing?

_A party?_

"You are here as my guest," Haku told her. "For the celebrations."

Chihiro perked up. It _was_ a party!

Haku took her up the elevators in search of Lin; they found the spirit in the servants' quarters, painting her eyes with gold and red makeup.

"Do not miss the lighting," Haku told her. "I will see you shortly afterwards." He then did something a little out of the ordinary: he kissed her on her temple in farewell.

Lin must've noticed Chihiro's beet-red face, but she made no comment other than, "Charming blush. Now give me a hug, you dope!" As she applied her makeup, the spirit asked Chihiro how she was doing and where has she been and did her makeup look alright?

"C'mon, Sen," Lin said when she had finished readying herself, "Your turn."

Chihiro thought that the spirit's words sounded a bit ominous, and the glint in Lin's eye _really_ wasn't helping, but she obliged.

There was a beautiful kimono in varying shades of blue laid out for her – Chihiro wondered how they got the size right. She had no idea what she was doing, but thankfully Lin did – she'd never worn a kimono, let alone something as fancy as a _furisode._

"Jeez, Sen," Lin chided affectionately, "You're such a dope! Hold still, now we have to do your hair…"

.

Chihiro almost didn't recognize herself. She looked beautiful; her hair was held back by beautiful combs and there were silver glitter around her eyes. It should have been gaudy, but Lin had applied it expertly – she looked like a handmaiden for the moon.

There were spirits bustling all over the grounds as they exited the bathhous. Lin explained that Yubaba, though hosting the festival, was not having the bathhouse employees work – everything would be done by magic, because working on the Equinox was so heinous even Yubaba wouldn't make them.

The fields around the bathhouse that night were easily the most beautiful thing Chihiro had ever seen. The sky was dark and the air was crisp-but-warm and there was firelight everywhere – torches, paper lanterns, and the wood skeleton of a pyre in the center of the revelry. Some spirits wore masks while other had painted their faces like Lin, but most came as they were – just dressed up.

Chihiro grew dizzy trying to take it all in. The sights, the sounds, even the _smells_ were all foreign to her, and she was nearly overwhelmed. Lin kept a steady hand on her arm and led her through the crowd. "C'mon! We can't miss the lighting!"

Chihiro trotted after Lin as best she could and nearly bumped into the spirit when she came to a halt amongst the crowd. They stood around what Chihiro had originally thought was the beginnings of a bonfire. In all actuality, it was a wrought-iron cage.

Somewhere in the distance, bells sounded. Everyone seemed to hold their breath – the very air went still. Suddenly, an inferno roared to life inside the cage.

From nowhere, a purple dragon swooped down and flew about the cage. It breathed on the fire and it changed from yellow to blue. Chihiro gasped – she'd never seen anything like it.

A second dragon joined the first. It came down from the sky like a lightning bolt, and the fire turned a deep violet. Its red body coiled in the sky with the purple one.

The third dragon was gold. It flew around the base of the cage three times before opening its maw an breathing crimson fire into the purple.

Chihiro was entranced by the flames. All hues of red and purple flickered amongst the flames, some so bright or iridescent that she'd never seen before. She missed the fourth dragon, but it turned the flames six different shades of _black,_ and some shades she couldn't name. She'd never known that there was a color darker than black before. She idly wondered what it was called.

The fifth dragon was white – the fifth dragon was _her_ dragon, and Haku turned the flames _gold._ They weren't yellow like most flames – it was a true gold, with shades of crimson and silver and black inside it. He flew up to the sky to join his predecessors, and there they danced.

The dragons roared in unison. The song of a bird soon joined them, and when the phoenix rose from the flames and flew over the crows up to the heavens in a streak of fast, opalescent colors, Chihiro felt like crying because it was so beautiful.

The crowed clapped and wiped tears from their faces and watched, hypnotized by the display. Chihiro didn't want it to end, but she knew what this meant.

The revelries had begun.

**.**

**I'm a little iffy about this chapter. I dunno… But it's gotten as good as it's gonna get, and really it just serves a transitional purpose. Well. Sort of. **

**Thank you all for the wonderful support you've shown this story. I'd reply to you all individually, but I simply lack the time. **

**Don't own anything - neither Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, or _The Book Theif. _**

**I sort of took a screwed-up theory on _Totoro_ and incorporated it a little into this chapter. Don't really know why I did it. **

**As always, let me know your thoughts. **


	3. Trifecta

**i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart) – e. e. cummings**

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When Chihiro awoke, it was to voices. She was still in the fuzzy grasp of sleep, only halfway conscious, but she did hear bits and pieces of the conversation that was going on outside the room. The door were made of paper, after all.

"…Said that crossing the veil _hurt_ her…"

"That's not good."

"Really, would it _kill_ you to be a little concerned? She was traveling with a freaking _demigod,_ on the _Equinox_ –"

"Sen is not native to this world, Lin – the amount of magic she's been around, however, has made her an oddity I'm afraid and, given her unique position in regards to – "

"Just spit it out, will you?"

"She's separated from _him,_ but she has his heart. Every time she passes through the veil, wild magic will – for lack of better term – remind her that she has it. I suppose a side effect might be chest pain. Now hush, and let them sleep."

And there were no more voices, just the quiet sounds of squeaking gears and drawers being opened. Chihiro sighed and snuggled deeper into the blankets.

She awoke for real not ten minutes later, and when she opened her eyes she noticed something: she was not in her bedroom, and there was a very big, very dragonish something curled around her and her blanket.

Chihiro sat up. She didn't want to wake Haku, but she _had spent the night in the spirit world._ That – her parents – what would happen? And where was Lin? A steady feeling of worry settled in her gut, and she bit her lip.

Next to her, Haku's tail twitched. Chihiro froze. The dragon raised his head and snorted, then turned to fix Chihiro with a stare. He blinked, then head-butted her lightly as if to say, "Good morning."

"Morning, Haku," Chihiro said, stifling a yawn. He uncoiled himself and stretched languidly. Chihiro blinked, and then a boy was before her.

"Did you sleep well, Chihiro?"

Chihiro nodded. "What am I still doing here?"

Haku smiled, amused. "You fell asleep after the revelries. Do you remember?"

"Of course," Chihiro told him automatically, then stopped herself; _did_ she remember?

She had to think – Chihiro had never had to think _this_ much to remember something that had happened only a night before – but yes, she remembered. There was the fire-lighting, and all the booths selling odd trinkets – one in particular, a lady with goat legs and one eye who sold golden harps with glass strings that sang beautifully when plucked…there was music and food and dancing, oh, a _lot_ of dancing…

"We danced," Chihiro said, more to herself than Haku. She looked up at him. He was smiling softly. "We did," he confirmed. He stood and offered her his hand; she took it and he tugged her up. "Is there anything you'd like for breakfast?"

"Shouldn't I be heading home?"

Haku chuckled. "I hadn't figured you'd be this eager to return back."

"I – I'm not!" Chihiro defended herself quickly. "It's just – won't my parents notice I'm gone? Or the school? I can't just _disappear_ for a day –"

She was interrupted by Haku's laughter. "Chihiro," he said, "I promise you that you won't be missed." He put a hand at the small of her back and guided her out of the room, sliding the door shut behind them.

"How?" Chihiro wanted to know, face flushing. She suddenly felt very foolish – no matter the repercussions, it was worth staying in the spirit world. _Worth it._

"Magic," Haku said, "Does have its perks. Now," here they rounded a corner and set down a flight of stairs, "Breakfast." His tone left very little room for argument.

Most of the employees at the bathhouse were still asleep – it was, after all, technically still morning – and the day after the Equinox revelries. Chihiro supposed that even someone like Yubaba couldn't expect her employees to keep working after something like _that_ – even spirits could get hungover.

Breakfast, it seemed, would be an outside endeavor. Haku guided her to a quaint veranda surrounded by blue hydrangeas. The table was wrought-iron and surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly) enough, there were two plates piled high with pancakes and bacon sitting there, waiting.

Chihiro felt herself inwardly brighten at the prospect of a hearty breakfast. She yawned as she sat, rubbing her eye with a knuckle. It came away with silver glitter. "Oh! I didn't take my makeup off…or my pajamas!"

It was true – though Chihiro had vague memories of Lin helping her back to her room, and getting changed into more comfortable clothes, but she hadn't taken her makeup off.

_Oops. _She bit her lip, embarrassed.

Haku waved it away. "It's early. You can change later – I have limited time here."

Chihiro looked at him. "Oh - how long?"

He simled wanly. "Until Yubaba wakes."

Chihiro felt loads of questions begin to pile up on her tongue. _How's Bo? And No-Face? Granny Zeniba? What's happened? Is Yubaba still evil?_ "Should I call you Kohaku? Since that's your name…"

Haku smiled gently. "Though you're right, I'd prefer that you called me 'Haku.' I've grown used to it – and I'd like to keep my true name largely unknown. You should probably do the same – that's how witches like Yubaba can control you. Although," and here pride touched his tone, "Few can control a dragon that is whole."

Chihiro nodded. She knew firsthand how names could mean something.

As they ate, Haku asked her if she'd enjoyed herself (yes!), what she thought of the spirits and their parties (amazing! Is that how it's always like?), and whether she'd like to come again (_please!_). They also talked of trivias – what had happened since they'd last seen each other; Chihiro spoke of her impending summer break and how she couldn't wait for high school (even though it was still more than an entire school term away); Haku talked of the bathhouse and Zeniba, about how he was traveling, trying to rebuild his river – and collecting all the riverstones.

"Riverstones?" Chihiro echoed. "What are they?"

Haku grinned and stood, extending a hand out to her. "Come on, then. I'll show you."

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Walking with Haku was worlds different than flying with Haku; when they were flying, there was no need for conversation – there were no awkward silences. Walking with Haku was another matter entirely. It wasn't exactly _awkward,_ per say, but every so often he'd turn around and look at her, and catch her eye and grin, before turning back around and leading her to god-knows-where.

After she'd changed and washed her face, he led her through the hedge-maze, walking on the spirit side of the river. Eventually it dropped off into a cliff; Chihiro presumed that, after it rained, there'd be a waterfall. There was a little ledge that acted as a makeshift stairway – Haku guided her down it, and directed her into a hollow in the cliff face.

She stumbled into it, heart pounding – what if she _fell?_ But – thank the powers that be – she didn't fall.

Haku followed much more gracefully. He walked to the back of the cave and, there, on a pedestal that really sort of looked like a birdbath, were three shiny black stones. They rested in the clear water that was in the basin. Chihiro peered into it.

"These are the riverstones," Haku told her. Gently, he picked one out of the basin. As it left the water the colors changed – the stone became opalescent – no, that wasn't the right word. Opalescent was pale purples and blues, pastel colors – this was black, dark, almost like obsidian. But Chihiro had seen obsidian before, and it wasn't like _this. _Not this reflective, or black, and regular obsidian didn't look like it held _secrets_ in the way it reflected back greens and blues and purples. This was a black mirror – but mirrors weren't black.

(What Chihiro didn't know was that she could search the dictionaries of the world and she wouldn't come up with the proper words to describe the stone – such was the nature of the thing.)

"It's beautiful," she said, partly because it was and partly because Haku was looking at her expectantly. Her words seemed to satisfy him because he smiled and offered her the stone. "Would you like to hold it?"

Chihiro blinked, just a little taken off guard. It seemed wrong, somehow, to hold such a precious object. Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded. He placed it in her cupped hands, and she marveled at it once more.

"What does it do?" she whispered, for some reason breathless. There was no doubt in Chihiro's mind that what she held was precious, perhaps even sentient. It seemed to thrum, like the heart of a bird, the colors pulsing like the waves of a thousand oceans.

"The riverstones are like puzzle pieces," Haku answered, watching her. "Each one is a part of my river."

"But I thought your river had disappeared?" The instant she said them, Chihiro knew that they were the wrong words, _cruel _words, and in the silence that ensued she wished she could take them back. She looked up at him – and immediately wished she hadn't.

Haku looked _dangerous._

Chihiro swallowed, balking as apologies shriveled up in her throat and died on her tongue. His eyes were narrowed and his mouth was a thin line; the very air around them crackled with tension, the arm snaked out, and she almost saw what was coming before it happened –

-except it didn't happen. Instead of hitting her, like she'd been expecting, Haku had merely –quite gently – taken the riverstone from her hand and placed it back in the basin. Chihiro was in full out flinch-position, head turned to the side, eyes squeezed shut, hands held out in front of her face…

She swallowed thickly and hazarded a look at him. He was looking at her, expression mad as hell but…

There was something in his eyes that looked shattered.

"Sorry?" Chihiro offered, trying to fix whatever had just happened. But he ignored her apology.

"Has anyone in your world ever tried to hit you, Chihiro?" He was looking at the stones as he spoke, dipping a forefinger into the water and tracing lines on the lip of the basin.

She didn't like his tone. It was blank and eerily soft, detached in a way that let Chihiro know that nothing good was coming.

It was times like these that reality slapped Chihiro in the face with a simple fact: the boy she was dealing with was, in fact, a dragon.

"N-no…"

"Have I ever been anything but a friend to you?"

"No…Haku, I –"

"Then why," he said, and when he looked at her Chihiro froze, "Did you act as if I were to hurt you?"

Chihiro knew that her answer would either make or break the situation. "I – because I'd just put my foot in my mouth?"

The words did nothing to placate him. "If you think I am fickle enough to strike you for _that_, then you are ten sorts of fool."

Now that the initial knee-jerk reaction was gone and Haku was acting decidedly more _human_, Chihiro felt herself grow annoyed. She opened her mouth to say something – a biting retort, perhaps, or at least something in her defense. But again words failed her when she met his eyes.

There was something sad in them, Chihiro thought privately. Something sad enough to silence her. (But, she'd figure in retrospect, not sad enough to break her heart.)

She swallowed her words. Haku cast her one look, sad in his eyes but disdainful everywhere else.

_Definitely not human._

"Let's go," he called curtly over his shoulder. By then he was already halfway out of the cave.

The entire way back he walked twenty or so feet in front of Chihiro, and he didn't speak a word.

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A fog had settled over the bathhouse by the time Chihiro had arrived back. Haku had disappeared somewhere between the river and the hydrangea garden; Chihiro, however, was a far cry from the helpless ten-year-old she'd been. She let herself in through the servant-door in Kamaji's room, hiding her anxiety behind her bangs. What if Kamaji knew she'd offended Haku?

He didn't seem surprised by her arrival.

"I called Lin," he said in his roundabout way, not looking at her and taking his good old time to acknowledge her presence. "She's on her way with a hot drink and a blanket."

"Thank you," Chihiro said. She was, in fact, rather damp; the fog had been thick and had done a good job soaking her clothes. Kamaji didn't seem _too_ annoyed…maybe Haku hadn't stopped by?

"Don't thank me," Kamaji said. "Thank that dragon of yours."

Chihiro swallowed. So Haku had been there. Why was he being nice? She'd done a royal job of pissing him off. "Oh," she said. "Did he leave?"

Kamaji nodded and lit a cigarette. "He had to. Yubaba's awake." Kamaji peered at Chihiro, tilting his head to the side curiously. "And that's quite the stealth spell he cast on you."

"Stealth spell?" Chihiro couldn't help it. Her voice rose a couple of octaves.

Kamaji nodded. He looked like he was about to elaborate, but three bath tokens dropped down at once. He made a face and muttered under his breath, and banged the gravel to call forth the soot sprites. Chihiro hopped up to the deck as the emerged, coal in tow. They chirped at her happily, and she gave a little wave back.

"So Yubaba won't notice your presence here," he said finally. "Well," he amended, "She won't notice you as a _mortal._"

_Well,_ Chihiro thought, _That's good._ Even if she wasn't quite sure what that meant.

However, she wasn't done with her questions.

"Why didn't I disappear? And where does Haku live? What's happened since the last time I was here – and why couldn't I come here on the Solstice?"

"Slow _down,_ will ya?" The sound of Lin's voice behind her made Chihiro jump. The spirit-woman shut the sliding door behind her. She cast her a skeptical look and offered her the blanket folded in her arms. "And take this, you're dripping all over the floor." Chihiro didn't need to be told twice. She took it gratefully and wrapped it around her shoulders.

Lin glanced at Kamaji. "Well?" she said, voice acerbic as always. "Are you gonna answer her or not?"

Kamaji merely looked at her evenly. Lin rolled her eyes, and turned to Chihiro. "You couldn't stay on the Solstice because you're mortal. The Solstice festivals are…" Lin paused, fishing for the right word. "There's no word for it in your language. But you were too young, and human. If something happened, no one would be in their right mind to take care of you."

Chihiro nodded, taking this in. _Spirits go wild on the Solstice._ "What about Haku? Where does he live?"

Lin snorted, and when she spoke the contempt in her voice was palpable. "Haku? What about him?"

"Haku is an unbound spirit," Kamaji cut in smoothly. "His contract with Yubaba has been terminated – as you probably know – and he comes to the bathhouse for the festivals." Here he paused, as if debating on whether or not he wanted to add more. "He is probably the only spirit in the region – Zeniba notwithstanding –who rivals Yubaba. She fears him."

Chihiro frowned. "Hold on – Haku told me he was allowed here as long as Yubaba was asleep."

Kamaji nodded. "Yubaba has banned him from the bathhouse – not formally, mind you – and if she caught him here for any reason other than a celebration, she'd see it as a direct threat and would treat it accordingly."

"Oh." Chihiro remembered something one of her classmates had said. "So he doesn't want to start shit?"

Kamaji spluttered and Lin snorted. "Exactly," she replied, laughing. "Your dragon doesn't wanna start shit."

Kamaji cleared his throat. "Spirit rivalries are common, Chihiro. There's no need to be worried."

Chihiro exhaled and nodded. _Right. Haku is powerful. _"Why didn't I disappear?"

"You ate our food, didn't you?" Lin said. "That's why. For future reference – be careful about that. It binds you to our realm, and sometimes, the person who gave it to you."

It was now that Chihiro was learning one of her first important lessons: _do not eat the food. _

Chihiro's eyes widened. She looked at Lin, biting her lip. "Bound?" she squeaked, and cast a helpless glance at Kamaji.

The spider-man nodded. "Not forever. It'll last three days' time –"

"Three _days?!_" Chihiro came horrendously close to squealing. _I can't be here for three days! My parents – _

Oh gods.

Her _parents. _

"I can't be gone that long! My parents will_ kill_ me!"

"C'mon, you dope, it's not like _that –" _Lin began.

"I was not aware that mortal parents murdered their young," Kamajii cut in, shooting Lin a _Look_. Chihiro didn't know if he was being sarcastic or not.

Lin ignored them both. "Time moves differently here, Chihiro. You won't _really_ be gone three days. They will miss you for – well. How long they miss you for depends on their perception of our realm."

Well…that was a relief. "My parents were pretty oblivious last time…"

"That's right. They were." Kamaji wasn't disturbed in the least. He reached out and patted Chihiro's shoulder. "And, worst-case-scenario and they _do_ miss you for three days…use this."

He dropped a small sachet into Chihiro's hand. Chihiro peered inside it. The powder was fine and white, almost like sand – but was it _glowing? _

"Crushed moonstone," Kamaji said to her unasked question. "It'll make them forget. In place, you'll be able to suggest a truth – even something as simple as, 'I was home this whole time,' will work."

"Moonstone," Chihiro muttered to herself. She jumped when Lin elbowed her in the ribs, jerking her head towards Kamaji.

Chihiro caught the hint, but indignation rose inside her. Lin didn't give her enough credit, sometimes. _Of course I was going to thank him! _

Chihiro smiled at the boiler man. "Thank you!"

He nodded. "Let me know when you need a refill."

Before Chihiro could respond, Lin slung an arm around her shoulder, steering her towards the door. "In the meantime," she said, "Have you ever hustled a hungover frog spirit out of a fried newt?"

And Chihiro – momentarily – forgot about offended dragons and angry parents and memory.

All was well.

For now.

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Over the sea a line of white glided across the sky. It twisted itself into intricate knots, flying amongst the thunderstorm, striking with lightening and roaring with the thunder. He called rain down, summoned the winds, and whipped together a veritable hurricane.

For you see, this is what a dragon does, when he angsts.

And a dragon only angsts for one of two reasons:

(the complications due to) His heart being bound

His soul – his very _being –_ being destroyed

Our dragon has had both happen to him. The second, he was in the process of fixing.

The first…

Well.

The first was not in his control, now was it?

_Stupid, lovely mortal..._

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**Yes, I am aware of the grammar of the opening quote. But it is e. e. cummings, and the laws of grammar don't apply to him. **

**If there's any questions, chances are they'll be answered in following chapters. **

**Thank you for all your lovely feedback! **

**As always, let me know your thoughts. **


	4. quadratic

**Firstly: sorry for the delay. Forgive me? **

**Secondly: You all rock my socks. Seriously. Huge thanks to whoever reviewed, your encouragement/critiques are what keeps me going!**

**Thirdly: Disclaimer: disclaimed. **

**If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you. -A. A. Milne**

The year Chihiro was fourteen, Haku visited less and less. This was just as well; Chihiro was rarely, if ever, in a good mood. Becoming a teenager had hit Chihiro hard, and it wasn't a graceful sort of transition. She was mad at her parents – _god,_ had they always been so _stupid?_ And _annoying?_ She was mad at her old school mates – _Christ,_ they were all idiot burnouts. She was mad at Haku for being a volatile dragon and not visiting her – like, _okay._ _Cool._

All in all, Chihiro was an angsty, self-centered brat.

Not, however, that all of this was her own fault. Her parents hadn't been getting along, and her house was becoming less and less of a home and more and more like a war zone. Dinners were tense, nights were filled with screaming, and they rarely, if ever, slept in the same room anymore.

That summer was the worst one of her life – she didn't like her friends, she didn't like her parents, and she didn't like her own company. There was no sign of the spirit world _at all, _and all Chihiro wanted to do was go to sleep and not have to wake up.

She was a victim of stasis. Stagnant, humid, toxic stasis.

This stasis was cured half by the environment of a new high school and half by the balm of new friends.

Haruhi was sensible and smart; Sakura was loud and bubbly; Ami was mischievous and clever. Though they'd only known each other a few weeks, it was clear they were on the road to being best friends.

But still she missed her dragon.

She _missed_ him.

He came, once, visiting on the New Moon in January, but other than that it was radio silence until June.

For a while, Chihiro had worried that she'd offended him beyond repair; soon enough, though, the worry turned to scorn – well, if he wasn't going to visit her, screw him.

Stupid dragon.

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June the nineteenth was a lazy, hot summer day, still and stagnant – to most it was the beginning of summer vacation. To Chihiro it was two days before the Summer Solstice. Still bitter on the outside but inwardly hoping against hope that maybe, _maybe_ Haku would drop by and take her across the veil – but in the back of her mind she knew it was a foolish hope. What had Kamajii said? Too young and too human.

_Well,_ Chihiro thought bitterly, _screw him too. _

Sometime around midnight on June nineteenth – or was it technically the twentieth? – Chihiro was distracted from her Skype session with Ami, who was vacationing in America – more specifically Hawaii – for the week.

"It's weird," Ami was saying, "It's America, but they hardly speak _English_ here -_"_

It was then that something connected with her window. Chihiro averted her eyes as Ami continued speaking, eyes on her window, watching as another pebble met the glass.

"Hey, Ami?" Chihiro interrupted. "I have to go –I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"'Kay," Ami said blithely, "G'night, slut."

"Bye, whore."

Because _that_ was how you bade farewell to your best friend.

Right?

Right.

Though the insults were not without affection – Ami was just…well, she was just _like_ that, equally as likely to hug you as punch you in greeting.

But back to the matter: someone (or more likely _something)_ was throwing pebbles at her window. Chihiro closed the Skype window and set her laptop aside on her bed, opening her window and leaning out of it. A pebble nearly hit her in the face. "Hey!" she yelled. "What gives?"

Seconds later she was face-to-face with Haku. He leaned forward and grinned. Chihiro scrambled back in surprise. "Haku! What are you doing here?" she hissed, suddenly hyperaware of the fact that her _mother_ was _sleeping_ two rooms over.

His eyes gleamed in excitement. "I've located my last riverstone, Chihiro. It's somewhere in here!"

"I – In my room?" Chihiro asked, a bit flustered. Haku shook his head. He had a white-knuckle grip on her windowsill, but it wasn't for support; he was levitating outside her window.

"Not _here_ here. Close, though – the moral realm. In this town. I can feel it. My riverstone is _here,_ Chihiro!"

He was almost giddy – it was _weird. _Strangely endearing, but weird. Chihiro was used to Haku having such a cool exterior, that this – this blatant _excitement _– well.

Coming from him, it was odd.

"That's – that's great, Haku!" Chihiro said, trying not to sound too forced. She was happy for him, she really was, but she wasn't on his level of _ecstatic._

Haku gave a megawatt smile. "It's more than great, Chihiro – it's _fantastic. _But…because it's in the mortal realm, I cannot take it from whoever has claimed it…" He gave her a look then, and Chihiro wanted to sigh – she got the hint.

"Do you need me to help you, Haku?"

The words had barely left her mouth when he'd grabbed her hand. "Yes! Come, we have to get it before the Solstice –"

And before Chihiro could even blink she was manhandled (dragonhandled?) out of her window and into the night.

She squealed at the sudden movement. Haku set her on the grass, gently, suddenly looking worried. "Have I hurt you?"

"_No,_" Chihiro said, maybe a bit too crossly. "But – you can't just _take_ people from their houses! Give me some warning next time!"

Haku didn't seem too fazed by that – he nodded in acknowledgement but didn't apologize. _Ass,_ Chihiro thought. He was lucky it was a warm night – she was only in a camisole and cotton shorts.

He started walking down the main road and into town. "It's close," he was saying, gesturing with his hands as he walked. "I can feel it. It's just a matter of _where_ it is and _who_ has it – but we're close, Chihiro. We're close."

Chihiro _mhmed,_ wondering distantly when it suddenly became "we" after nearly _six months of radio silence._ Haku barely noticed her less-than-enthused demeanor; he chatted away as he led her through town, occasionally pausing at intersections before turning. He was in a strangely good mood, going as far as to hold her hand at times, not deterred or offended when she pulled away.

The main street was where most of the cutesy little shops were, lined on either side. He stopped at the old antique shop that was across the street from the library. "Here," he said, peering in through the window. "It's in here." He stepped back and looked at her expectantly.

Chihiro yawned. "Well, you're going to have to wait until tomorrow. It's closed for the night."

She hadn't meant to sound snappy – really, she hadn't. (Her mother would've called it "attitude.")

However, Haku didn't notice. "Tomorrow, then," he said with a nod. "Until then – will you fly with me, Chihiro?"

Chihiro could feel herself growing irritated. "Haku, it's late. I want to go _home. _I'll see you tomorrow, okay? We'll get your riverstone then."

He seemed to retreat then, the eagerness that had been almost palpable in the air between them replaced with a sort of injured, rejected-and-resentful aura. "Chihiro," he said quietly, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Chihiro muttered, because obviously it was everything. "Let's just go –"

"Don't "nothing" me! You're upset about _something – _stupid mortal –"

Okay. _That_ was the last straw. Chihiro narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, from "space" into "Haku's personal space." "_You,_" she all but snarled, "Can't just drop off the face of the earth for half a year and then waltz back into my life – expecting me to walk half across town at _midnight_ to find some stupid rock that _you_ lost and then – just expect everything to be _fucking_ okay!" Chihiro had never used a word like _that_ before – it was her first time using the "F-word," and it felt good. Fueled by anger and the shocked look on Haku's face, she continued, "Practically _kidnap_ me, drag me across town, and then get all offended when I don't want to tell you what's _wrong?_ Of _course _things are wrong – you have _no idea_ what my life has been like – none at _all_ – and then you just _leave –"_

She was truly getting upset now, almost on the verge of tears. Refusing – absolutely _refusing_ to cry in front of him, Chihiro stopped herself, breathing heavily and staring him down.

Haku looked about as chastised as a dragon could get. "I…I am sorry, Chihiro, I –"

"Damn _straight,_" Chihiro hissed, taking the opportunity to stalk away while she still had her dignity. Thankfully, the tears didn't start falling until she had walked past him.

In the back of her mind, a realization hit her: _oh god. I've gone and blown it, if he wasn't pissed at me before he will be now, oh god, now I'll _never_ see him…_

The hand that grabbed her arm was light, gentle, the grip weak enough that she could've pulled away if she'd wanted to. As it were, it didn't take much to get Chihiro to stop walking – though she didn't turn around.

"I had no idea," Haku murmured. He stood behind her, fingertip resting on her elbow. "I had to collect the riverstones before the Solstice – I was so caught up in the search…Chihiro, I did not mean to leave you. To hurt you. Please believe me on that."

She didn't want to, but there was something in his voice – something so honest, so _raw_ – that she did.

The hug that came was gentle, his arms coming around her ever-so-lightly. He pressed a kiss to her temple, gave a small squeeze, and let her go. He waited a moment, standing off to the side, as Chihiro pulled herself together.

She would not – _would not_ – offer and apology for losing it.

She would, however, accept his.

As she wiped her face, she figured that, in his mind, all was mended – and it was, really. There was an issue, she was upset, the issue was brought to his attention and he apologized. He had the air of a man (dragon?) who considered the matter closed – and within five minutes he said, "Come. You best be getting home." He began walking, then paused and offered her his hand. "Are you ready, Chihiro?"

Chihiro bit her lip, unsure – but took the hand anyway. "Yeah. Let's go."

.

.

.

It was 3 AM; they were sitting on Chihiro's front lawn, she with her legs out in front of her and he sitting across from her, cross-legged. Chihiro had just finished telling Haku of her parents, of their impending divorce, of the tension at her home. Haku was watching her, green eyes thoughtful.

"I don't understand," he said at length. "If they were not planning for the long-term, why not just mate and be done with it?"

Chihiro felt her face go red; she wasn't used to the frankness, and she was old enough to know that "mate" meant "sex." "That's not how it works, here," she mumbled, picking at the grass absently. "You have to get married first."

"But if you pledge yourself to someone for life, it should be _for life._"

Chihiro shrugged. "That's the intention, but it doesn't always work out like that. People change. People have problems. They don't want to fix them…sometimes it's easier, to separate."

"But they have you," he insisted. "Doesn't that mean anything?"

His words were too close to the question that Chihiro, in her heart of hearts, was silently screaming. She look down and shrugged again. "Apparently not." In a desperate move to shift his attention, she asked, "How is it done in the spirit world?"

"Spirits may take mates for a day or for a century, but if they give their hearts to one another it is for eternity." He said it so easily – Chihiro wondered what it must be like, to come from a world so black and white.

She must've fallen asleep outside; she didn't remember going back into her room, but that was where she woke up. All neatly tucked in, but window still wide open – it created a nice affect, of cool air and warm blankets.

Chihiro quite liked it.

She was awake all of fifteen minutes when Haku appeared at her window. "Ready?" he asked, holding out his hand. Chihiro smiled and, politely as she could, told him that she'd be using the front door, thanks.

She told her parents that she was meeting Ami at the library, and she was off.

Something had shifted between them last night, and Chihiro liked the result. It wasn't awkward now, walking in silence with him, breaking into conversation over the most random things and fading into silence when it was over. There was no need for words, but words were welcome – it was nice.

As they got closer to the shop, Haku's excitement became more and more visible; his grip on her hand was tight and almost nervous as they entered the shop.

Inside it was dark, almost overwhelmingly brown. It was cluttered, too, odds and ends strewn about on every available surface. And there was almost _everything,_ from pocket watches to grandfather clocks to old tables to overstuff chairs. Careful not to knock anything over, Chihiro followed Haku to the back of the shop.

"There," he whispered, pointing to the glass display counter. "That's it."

Chihiro could see – it was with other semiprecious gems, unpolished amethyst and opals and obsidian. It sat on red velvet, but the price…

"Haku," Chihiro whispered, "I don't have enough for that."

And he smiled in his dragonish way, pressing something into her hand. "Use this," he said quietly, lips moving against the shell of her ear. "Okay?"

Offering a smile that _really_ was more of a grimace, Chihiro stepped up to the counter, Haku half a step behind her. "Um," she said, "Excuse me?"

The old man behind the counter turned his attention to her. He was small, stooped with age, beard scraggy and gray and hair mostly bald. His one eye was dark brown, the other pale blue. Chihiro couldn't tell if it was real or glass.

"What can I do ya for?" he asked, shuffling over. His hands were wrinkly, the knuckles chapped and salient, lined with veins and scars.

"The stone – the black one. I'd like to buy it, please." Chihiro tried again at smiling, gesturing to the riverstone. The man gave her an odd look but complied, sliding back the glass and removing it from the display, placing it on the counter.

"Obsidian," he said. "Technically glass. It's formed from lava – did you know that?"

Chihiro shook her head. "I didn't. It's pretty, though. My mother – she likes these sorts of things. Her birthday is coming up, and…"

The man chuckled. "Say no more. I'm sure your mother will love it. Here, come to the register and I'll wrap it for you."

Chihiro nodded and followed him, swallowing nervously. She wasn't sure where the lie had come from, but she felt guilty – the old man was kind, and she'd lied to him.

_And you're paying him with fake money,_ her conscience reminded her. Chihiro inwardly winced, promising herself that she'd make it up somehow.

She made the transaction without incident, the old man wishing her a good day on her way out. Chihiro smiled and threw a genuine "you too!" over her shoulder.

Behind her, Haku was practically vibrating with excitement. Chihiro waited until they'd rounded the corner and were mostly out of sight before she handed him the neatly wrapped parcel. "Your riverstone," she said with a flourish. Haku picked her up and spun her around, still holding her tightly when he put her down. "_Thank you,_" he said, nose buried in her hair. "Oh Chihiro, _thank you._"

It was just then that Chihiro realized: he was taller than she was, by almost half a head – he _looked_ older, too – his jaw was more defined, cheekbones sharper, chest less thin – standing flatfoot, she had to look up to meet his eyes…

…and he needed to lean down to kiss her.

It was a quick peck on the lips, nothing much, really, but _definitely_ enough to make a fifteen-year-old Chihiro blush and duck her head. "It was no big deal," she said, trying to play it off.

First kiss or not, it had been in gratitude, not romance – she couldn't let Haku see her get all flustered over it.

"No," he corrected softly, pulling away just enough to tilt her chin up to look her in the eye. "It was the world."

**To clarify: in the beginning, it's the summer before she starts high school - later on, the "summer" section, is the year between her first and second year of high school. Just to avoid confusion :)**

**Thoughts? **


End file.
